Full Notification

LOCATION: Sequoia Station Shopping Center, Redwood City 

DATE/TIME: April 24th 2024 

In January 2024, a victim purchased a pair of counterfeit Apple Airpod Max headphones from a seller on Facebook Marketplace. The transaction occurred at Sequoia Station, and the seller claimed that the headphones were authentic. The headphones were nearly identical to real Apple Airpod Max headphones and were sold in a sealed Apple box, however they were nonfunctional. Downtown Services Unit officers initiated an investigation, and located multiple other listings for suspected counterfeit Apple headphones on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. The items were determined to have real serial numbers which could be looked up on Apple's website, however the serial numbers were stolen from real devices and any associated warranty was invalid. 

Undercover officers successfully arranged multiple transactions and purchased several pairs of headphones that were confirmed to be counterfeit. The investigation revealed that the headphones were all originating from one individual, identified as Redwood City resident Jose Angel Sanchez (age 18). A search warrant was served at Sanchez' residence, and over $2,000 worth of counterfeit merchandise was seized. Sanchez was booked into San Mateo County Jail. 

We recommend that, for online purchases of electronics, that the buyer make every effort to confirm the functionality and authenticity of the product at the time of purchase. Many manufacturers can verify serial numbers at locations where those items are sold. Purchases should be in safe places and, as a general rule, if it appears to be too good to be true, it probably is. 

Nick Perna 
Lieutenant 
Investigations Commander 
Redwood City Police Department 
650-780-7672 
[email protected] 

This press release is approved for distribution by the Investigations Division Commander, Lieutenant Nick Perna